Success Story: Joel Miller

*Names have been fictionalized to protect the privacy of our clients.

Joel is a 41-year-old former warehouse manager and part-time DJ from Vancouver. For years Joel burned the candle at both ends, working hard on weekdays and DJing regularly at weddings and parties on the weekends. After pulling a number of late nights, Joel was so tired that he slipped in the shower and hit his head. Luckily for Joel, his employer let him take a month off to recuperate. After taking some time to rest, Joel returned to work. Three short months later, Joel had a seizure while working late. His doctor ordered an MRI and an EEG but both examinations came back negative.

Joel took time to recuperate

After his seizure, Joel decided to put his passion as DJ on hold and use his free time to recuperate. He returned to work after a short-term disability leave of two months. Weeks after he returned to work, he had another seizure. His doctor ordered a second MRI scan. This time the scan revealed that Joel had suffered a serious head trauma and as a result was diagnosed with epilepsy.

Joel was crushed by the diagnosis and unsure of how he’d return to work with his ongoing debilitating symptoms. Faced with a new illness that he didn’t know how to manage, Joel filed for a long term disability claim. His insurance company denied the claim saying that his disability does not prevent him from doing his job. They argued that working in a warehouse in a managerial position did not require him to be on any heavy equipment and that he could perform the essential duties of his job. Joel disagreed and more importantly his doctors disagreed because it was common for Joel to have to get onto the equipment regularly either to fix a problem or fill in for another worker.

Joel wasn't ready to give up

Joel was determined to get his claim approved and went to see another neurologist who wrote another supportive medical report. Despite assembling what seemed like a strong case, the insurance company still denied Joel’s claim. Joel was devastated and unsure of what to do next. He needed to start earning money again and considered going back to work, even if it wasn’t best for his health.

One day, Joel saw a TV commercial for Share Lawyers. He reached out to the firm to see if they could assist him to fight for his claim. Share Lawyers listened to his story and worked together with him to build a solid case. With the support of his doctors and the experienced disability lawyers at Share Lawyers, Joel’s claim was settled for a lump sum. The payment included benefits from when he had stopped working and several years into the future.

Thanks to Share Lawyers, Joel can manage financially while he figures out his next move. He is seeking more rigorous treatment and education to learn more about how to deal with epilepsy. He is researching going back to school to be retrained into a field that will allow him to work within his restrictions.

Denied your long term disability claim?

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